Repeated buy-back offers not to be encouraged: SEBI

SEBI has in its recent order, allowing the Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (“Deccan Chronicle”) to buy-back 3.45 crore shares, stated that “repeated buy-back offers by a company is not something that SEBI, as a regulator, would like to encourage, given the fact that it could be misused by entities to consolidate their holding at the expense of the company”. This was the second time in the last two years that Deccan Chronicle had sought the permission of SEBI for exemption from the requirements of Takeover Code to come out with an offer to buy-back its shares. In July 2009 SEBI had granted Deccan Chronicle exemption from the requirements under the Takeover Code for increasing its voting rights from 63% to 73.51% pursuant to buy-back offer proposed by the target company. Thereafter, the target company had made the buy-back offer during August, 2009, wherein 4.84% of the total voting capital of the target company was bought back. In the present case, the Promoters again sought exemption from the requirements under the Takeover Code for increasing their voting rights from 63.37% to 73.83% (assuming 100% response) pursuant to buy-back offer proposed by the target company. SEBI vide its order dated 15 April 2011 granted Deccan Chronicle Holdings exemption from the requirements under the Takeover Code for the second proposed buy back of shares. However SEBI directed Deccan Chronicle not to seek any further exemption pursuant to any further buy-back offers by the target company. SEBI also stated that repeated buyback offers could be misused by acquires to consolidate their holding at the expense of the company and this is not something that SEBI, as a regulator, would like to encourage.